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With Thanksgiving a week away and Christmas and New Year’s a month or so away, the holidays have officially arrived. Along with the holidays comes parties, pot-lucks, cold-weather colds, busy shopping malls, and traveling. With all of the commotion of the season and plates of cookies, it can be hard to stay healthy and motivated to make time to exercise and eat right. That’s why Rawlins County Health Center wants to get in ahead of time with some friendly tips on how to stay healthy the next two months.

Our medical center provides cardiac health services, diabetic services, laboratory services, and more. As much as we love treating our patients, we want to keep as many people as healthy as possible during the holidays. So as you’re hopping from family party to office party, keep these tips in mind.

Get in Some Exercise

This is no doubt one of the busiest times of the year, making it hard to fit in the recommended 30 mins of exercise a day. But if you want to avoid the holiday-15, make it point to at least do something every day that involves movement. Take the stairs at work, go for a walk during lunch, take your dog for a walk after work, do jumping-jacks before you get in the shower in the morning — every little bit of exercise can make a big difference at the end of the day.

Keep Eating Your Veggie

When traveling for the holidays or going to parties, healthy fruits and vegetables can be hard to come by. If you know that you’re going to a party that night, eat a satisfying salad for lunch. Toss in some tuna or chicken with avocado, peppers, broccoli, and something sweet like raisins or dried cranberries. For a filling side, grab a handful of almonds. If you’re looking for healthy snacks, try a bag of baby carrots and some hummus. Getting in at least some veggies throughout the day will give your body essential nutrients.

Sleep

It’s easy to think that you can lose a few hours a night or two during the week because of an event, but this will quickly catch up with you. Too little sleep will eventually start affecting your immune system. With a weak immune system, when you are exposed to a virus, it will be harder for your body to fight it off.

Watch For Germs

This is especially important if you are traveling or spending time at other people’s homes. Watch out for door handles, faucets, and watch who you’re shaking hands with. If you happen to catch a cold, be sure to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands frequently, and don’t feel guilty about having to stay home from an event. Staying home is better than infecting 10 other people.

Eat Before You Go

If you know you’re heading out to a party that will have a table full of fatty and sugary foods, try to get in a healthy meal before you leave. You can still have a little snack or dessert at the party, but you won’t feel like you have to fill up your plate with unhealthy treats.

Watch What You Drink

If you’re trying to watch your calories this season, keep an eye on what you’re drinking. Many alcoholic drinks are full of calories and then all of a sudden you’re well over your daily calorie budget. Beer, wine, and hard ciders are alcoholic drinks with the highest calories. Liquor like rum and gin are good options when mixed with tonic water or club soda.

Take a Multivitamin

If you truly are on the go and can’t manage to get in some vegetables, at least take a daily multivitamin. It’s a quick and easy way to give your body some nutrients to keep you out of the doctor’s office. Look for one with vitamin C, D, magnesium, zinc, and B-12. But keep in mind, a multivitamin shouldn’t be used as a substitute for healthy living.

The doctors and staff at Rawlins County Health Center want you to enjoy your holidays! But we also hope that we don’t see you at our medical center — no offense. If you are feeling ill or need urgent care, please visit us in Atwood on Grant Street. We take pride in giving our patients the best care year round.

When diagnosed with diabetes, it can be a life-altering change. One of the biggest changes may be to your diet and how you think about food. However, with a proper plan and diet, and by eating healthily, you can begin to control symptoms and start to get your life back. At Rawlins County Health Center, our staff wants to ensure that you live your healthiest life.

The purpose of creating a nutrition plan to manage your diabetes is to help control your sugar intake. This will also help you manage your weight and other factors, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Without the proper diet, there could be complications from the rise in blood glucose, including nerve, kidney, and heart damage. In order to prevent these from occurring, a healthy diet is a primary defense.

Healthy Foods For People With Diabetes

Healthy Carbohydrates

When you consume simple carbohydrates and starches, these break down into blood glucose. Avoid processed bread and instead focus on eating fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, and low-fat dairy products.

Foods High in Fiber

A benefit of fiber-rich foods is that they control how your body digests and slows the absorption of sugar. Include foods with insoluble like beans, whole wheat flour, broccoli, pears, chickpeas, and many other fruits and vegetables.

Heart Healthy Foods

Certain fish will help lower blood fats, known as triglycerides. Look for fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, cod, tuna, and halibut. Other heart-healthy foods include spinach, oatmeal, berries, nuts, tomatoes, and dark chocolate.

Healthy Fats

You want to include the healthy fats, or monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These include foods like avocados, almonds, pecans, olives, and olive oil. However, be mindful of how much you consume of these foods, as they are often high in calories.

Tips For Eating Nutritiously

Eat More Vegetables: When putting meals together, fill your place with appropriate amounts of certain foods. Fill one half of the plate with vegetables, such as spinach or broccoli. One-quarter of the plate should be filled with a low-fat protein like fish or pork. Finish the plate off with a whole grain.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates have one of the biggest effects on blood glucose, so be sure to eat carbs at the same time each day, especially if you are taking medication or insulin.

Exchange List Method: One method for finding healthy foods to eat is the exchange list. These lists include foods within certain categories, such as protein. The foods within the same category have similar effects on your blood glucose, so you can choose one food from each category.

Glycemic Index: When choosing healthy foods to eat, some diabetics use this method to help. Essentially, this method lets you choose foods based on how they affect glucose levels. Talk with your doctor at Rawlins County Health Center to learn more about this strategy.

We understand that living with and managing diabetes can be frustrating and overwhelming, but we also know the importance of having a healthy diet and lifestyle. It may be a slow start to find a routine that works for you, but with the right help and guidance from the staff at our medical center, you will begin to feel healthy and positive.

Learn more about the diabetes treatment at our medical center and schedule an appointment today.

Your heart starts beating at around three to four weeks in the womb and keeps you moving throughout your life, when all goes well. And for many of us, we only get one heart, making it crucial to protect it. With so many heart-related diseases (coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, etc), and health issues that can harm the heart (blood pressure, high cholesterol), we need to do everything we can in order to keep our hearts healthy and pumping strong. So, what are the best ways to protect your heart?

The doctors, nurses, and assistants at Rawlins County Health Center are passionate about educating each of the patients that visit our medical center in Atwood. Whatever health concern or emergency you’re having, you can count on our staff to provide you with a caring experience.

How to Protect Your Heart

Stay Active

For many people, getting and staying active comes down to not having the energy and lacking the motivation to start. These are big hurdles that will take a lot of mental strength to cross, but when the end goal is to improve the strength of your heart and your overall health, crossing the hurdles is a must. The key is to start out small — take the stairs at work, go on a short walk, swim a couple laps at a pool, or even doing some jumping jacks in your living room in the morning is enough to get your heart pumping. Over time, you can slowly build up the intensity of the activities.

Getting in two and a half hours each week of moderate activity will help lower your blood pressure, keep your weight in control, and can lower your LDL cholesterol. You’ll also benefit by a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, reduced depression, and improved sleep. So however hard you struggle getting started, keep your focus on feeling and living better!

Control Cholesterol by Eating Right

The important thing about cholesterol is to keep a balance between the good (HDL) and the bad (LDL). To keep the bad cholesterol down, keep an eye on the amount of red meats you’re eating, choose low-fat dairy, and try to limit trans fats, such as margarine, doughnuts, sweets with cream or frosting, and fried foods. The good cholesterol (foods such as salmon, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, and beans) works to clean your arteries of the bad cholesterol. If you’re not sure what your cholesterol level is, schedule an appointment at our medical center for a quick test.

Manage Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, often doesn’t have any symptoms, and can be a serious problem for your heart. This is because there is a large amount of stress being put on your arteries, which is caused by various factors, including being overweight, too much salt in your diet, smoking, or stress. Manage your blood pressure by eating a balanced diet with minimal salt and alcohol, and start exercising regularly.

Keep a Healthy Weight

Weight management is a significant part of protecting your heart. Those who are overweight have a higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot to get results. Losing just 3 to 5 percent of your body weight can help your heart.

Getting and staying healthy is a journey, but one that ends with a healthier, stronger heart! The doctors at our medical center strongly believe that every ounce of effort is worth it. If you’re in need of medical attention or advice, visit Rawlins County Health Center today. Our medical center is located at the east corner of Atwood Lake off of Grant Street.

ATWOOD, KANSAS (August 24) –Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood, Kansas, has signed a new three-year contract with Kyle Herspring, Certified Physician Assistant.

Kyle joined the Rawlins County Health Center staff in November 2013. Kyle was instrumental in getting the Wound Care Program started, and has been working with implementation of electronic medical records in the hospital and clinic. Kyle also works in close collaboration with the Specialty Clinic physicians.

“We are excited that Kyle has signed for three more years with RCHC!” said Sharon K. Cox, CEO. “Both Kyle and RCHC have a shared passion and commitment to providing the highest quality of care and delivering optimal health value to those we serve. This enables us to continue our legacy of healthcare and sustains our services for the future.”

Kyle was also instrumental in starting the Wichita State Clinical Program, which helped bring Allie Keller, PA-C to Rawlins County Health Center. Allie will begin her practice in September/October 2016.

“It’s been a privilege to serve RCHC and the surrounding communities,” Herspring said. “My family and I are extremely blessed here and look forward to keeping Atwood our home.”

If you would like to schedule an appointment with Kyle, call the Rawlins Clinic 785-626-3241.

Rawlins County Health Center, a critical access hospital, has served Rawlins County since 1950.

About Rawlins County Health Center

The role and Mission of Rawlins County Health Center is to improve the health and quality of life of the individuals and communities it serves. Located in Atwood, Kansas, this 24-bed critical access hospital services the community through cardiac rehabilitation, diabetic services, laboratory, outpatient surgery, physical therapy, wound care, x-ray, stress testing, MRI, bone density, mammography, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and CAT scan. Its specialty clinics include cardiology, general surgery, orthopedics and mental health services. Rawlins County Health Center is committed to setting the standard for patient-centered quality healthcare. For more information, please visit www.rchc.us/.